Bicycles need to follow the same rules of the road as cars and trucks, Sioux Falls officials reminded people Wednesday in a presentation about bike safety.

"The bicyclist has the same rights and responsibly when riding on the street that any other motor vehicle does," Transportation Planner Sam Trebilcock said during the presentation at the daily police briefing.

Bicyclists riding on the street need to stop at stop signs and ride on the right side of the street, he said.

"They need to be predictable," he said. "The way to do that is to ride the bicycle generally like a car."

Police spokesman Sam Clemens said a bicyclist can get a ticket for not stopping at stop signs, and the fine is the same as a car —$120.

"You're not required to have a license for that bicycle but you can still get a ticket for violating the traffic laws," he said.

Motorists can get tickets for crowding out bikes on the road.

The city updated bike laws two years ago, requiring cars to give bikes at least three feet of space when passing.

Trebilcock said those laws are an important step of making it safer to ride on the street. Now, his department is looking at ways to educate both cyclists and drivers about safety. One effort is a safety video the city created recently.

Falls Area Bicyclists education committee member Michael Christensen said there's more the city can do to make its bicycling facilities safer.

Some bike lanes encourage cyclists to ride to the right of turning vehicles, which can be dangerous, he said. He'd also like to see the city replace sensors at traffic lights that aren't able to detect bikes.

The 13th bicycle versus vehicle accident this year in Sioux Falls resulted in a fatality.

A week ago, 22-year-old Natasha Adams was killed by a sporting utility vehicle pulling out of a parking lot while riding on a 49th Street sidewalk near Kiwanis Avenue. This week, a bicyclist was injured after hitting a parked car on Alpine Avenue in southeast Sioux Falls.

It's legal for cyclists to ride on the sidewalk, aside for Phillips Avenue between Ninth and 14th streets and in front of the 8th and Railroad Center.

"You must do that cautiously," Trebilcock said of sidewalk riding.

He recommends riding at pedestrian speeds and stopping at every intersection.